


The Devil and A Warlock Walk Into Therapy

by CloudyPinkTwink



Series: The Devil and A Warlock Walk Into a Bar [2]
Category: Lucifer (TV), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur gets talked about, Friendship, Gen, God speed to Linda, Linda is the Therapist for Immortal beings, Lucifer cares about that thank you, Merlin Hurts on the Inside, So does Chloe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:07:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26258386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudyPinkTwink/pseuds/CloudyPinkTwink
Summary: "He's not human, like me, but has a better understanding than I do. He has his issues and I firmly believe that if anyone can help us non-humans out, it would be you."That was the highest praise possible, and Linda couldn't find it in herself to say no."I should have space for tomorrow."
Relationships: Merlin (Merlin) & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Series: The Devil and A Warlock Walk Into a Bar [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902928
Comments: 40
Kudos: 311





	The Devil and A Warlock Walk Into Therapy

"Do you think if my friend wanted a therapy session before he left to go back to the east, you could squeeze him in?"

"Well hello to you too, Lucifer." Linda wasn't really surprised by him; he had a tendency to barge in saying whatever he thought, rather than greeting her like a normal human being.

...Well, he wasn't exactly a normal human being, was he?

"Yes, hello, Good day to you." Taking a seat on her rather comfortable couch, Lucifer poured himself a glass of water- this was one of the few places he actually just drank water than his alcohol. Couldn't tell you why- perhaps it was out of habit for when she chastised him constantly, and even after she found out, it just never got spoken of. "A friend of mine is in town for a short bit, and I told him he should try some therapy. He's rather apprehensive about the whole thing, though."

Blinking, the therapist couldn't help the surprise on her face from showing- unluckily, her patient took it the wrong way. "Why is everyone so surprised I have a friend?" He grumbled, pouting- looking genuinely a little hurt. It was one thing for him to be hurt by actual revelations that had a negative impact- it was another thing for him to be hurt because of Linda's carelessness.

They were also friends alongside being patient and doctor. He trusted her, and she wanted to keep his trust by not hurting him.

"No no, it's not that!" Linda was quick to amend. "It's just that- I've never seen you take such… genuine care for someone before. Hardly even Chloe- I've never seen you want someone to take care of themselves outside of… indulging further in what they want."

Seemingly saited, Lucifer sighed and sat back. "Yes, well, he did say something similar- he was surprised I was being more considerate of his feelings this time around, and suspects the Detective has done something to aid my growth as a Devil with human emotions."

"Well… you have grown a lot since we first started our sessions, and most of them do revolve around things relating to her." A diplomatic way to say; yes, you changed because you love Chloe. But saying it outright tended to scare Lucifer, since he was still wandering and grappling in the dark, looking for answers on all those weird feelings he wanted to ignore.

When her only response was a small sigh, Linda turned the attention away from Chloe before the Devil got lost on those feelings. "So! Your friend! I've never heard you speak of anyone so highly before; who is he?"

"Merlin."

To be fair, Linda never cared for the Arthurian Legends, so it was justified that it took her a bit to realize why he was staring at her so expectedly.

"...Merlin."

"Yes, Doctor." Lucifer nodded his head, patiently. "Do tell me if you need two weeks to consider this, as well."

Flushing, she shook her head wildly and clasped her hands in front of her. "No! No- no, I'll be okay. It's- it's weird- this is- this is Merlin? As in _the_ Merlin? Like- King Arthur's old wizard with the pointy hat?"

Of course, that just brought forth laughter. "Yes and no; his old man disguise tends to fit that image, though. He despises it, but I find it utterly hilarious"

"...Disguise?"

"Yes; Merlin is an immortal being of Magic. With Magic, he is able to alter his aging and form- even his sex, should he wish to. Which, he has." Another chuckle and Linda didn't ask, though, she couldn't stop her curiosity from piquing. "No, he and Arthur were around the same age when they met. Couldn't be older than 20, I don't think. I don't remember what Merlin said."

"So… you're friends with an immortal… magical being?" Of course she had to get questions in- she could ask Lucifer much more comfortably, too.

"Yes- he has some destiny he can tell you all about. His druid name is Emrys, which means immortal. I have no idea what my father was thinking with all this magic, especially since it's rather scarce in the modern day, and making this poor sod immortal of all things." He tsked softly. "Even the dragons are gone, and they live for a long time."

"...Dragons..?"

Lucifer squinted at her for a moment. "Are you sure you're not breaking on me again? Because-"

"No!" She interrupted, positive to do better this time. Angels and demons were no secret to her, and haven't been for quite a long time. Magic shouldn't be too hard a cup to swallow. "No- no- I just- I do have some questions. Magic as your telling it- that- that fairytale stuff of wizards and dragons and knights- I need to wrap my head around it a little more. But I won't break, I promise. Not again, okay?"

The concern- that's what it was- stayed on his face, but he sat back, relaxing a bit. Linda realized belatedly he was worried about her. "Okay." Then made a gesture for her to ask her questions.

These sessions were supposed to be for Lucifer and about him, so she tried to make her questions about both him and the past that was fraught with magic. Dragons and pixies and Sidhe- evil sorcerers and love spells and mad kings. It was "only" 1,500 years ago, which apparently wasn't _that_ long, considering how old Lucifer himself was. It was fascinating to listen to him share details and his own personal accounts of mythical creatures Linda had once been sure never existed beyond the imagination of humans.

"Merlin found me one day; 200 years after all his friends and family had passed. I think things were finally beginning to sink in for him, because once he really realized who I was, he simply begged me to either kill him or bring back Arthur."

"And did you?"

He shook his head, looking a little pained. "No; messing with magic is not something to be done lightly. Their prophecies and Destinies will be met, and trying to play with them will only make a bigger mess of things."

"But you're the Devil; surely you could-"

"Yes, I _could_ but as I said, it's dangerous." Lucifer snapped, before inhaling and exhaling calmly.

"You wanted to."

There was silence between the two as it sunk in, and Linda realized just how important this man was to her patient to get him to _want_ to do something for him. To feel pained because he couldn't. To be stressed because he felt powerless to help.

"I've wanted to for a long while." Lucifer admitted, voice softer. He wouldn't meet her eyes, playing with his cufflinks. "Merlin has accepted what he needs to do; that he needs to wait until magic deems it time for Arthur to come back but… he's still so… depressed. It's depressing to be around, quite frankly." Ah, there was that attempt to cover up his feelings.

"Well, why stay around him then?"

"...He's always known who I was, yet he never cared about that. He could sense I was the Devil- _the Lucifer_ that was supposedly so evil and cruel- in a time where such beliefs were so strong. You so much as spoke my name in a positive light and you'd be killed. He had no prior dealings with me, and certainly not my siblings for they would have painted an even worse picture- no- he was meeting me for the first time and despite everything he had been told and heard of me… he accepted me."

That made a lot of sense; Lucifer's biggest issue was people hating who he _really_ was. To know someone had known that and readily accepted him as a friend… it made Linda happy knowing Lucifer had that in his life.

"I used to come up top for short periods of time- a few years, at most." Lucifer gestured around them briefly. "This is the longest I ever stayed up, and has been the first and only time I completely refused to go back to Hell. In any case, I would come to witness what humanity was doing, mess with people- so on and so forth." He kept out that it was a rather lonely existence still, but Linda didn't need him to say that.

"Merlin never left- he _can't_. He cannot die, so Heaven and Hell are barred to him, and by the laws of Magic, he cannot go to Avalon either- Avalon being a subdivision of Heaven, if you're curious where it falls. It's essentially where the less human beings go to have their peace and happiness and what have you." That explained that, at least. "He's stayed on Earth, forever alive and wandering. From what he's said, he normally stays in Europe- especially preferring to be close to where Camelot once stood in Wales."

"However, he began traveling more after we met, and he'd find me or we'd find each other at random, both having been drawn into the same thing or same place. Every time we met he was nothing but…" He furrowed his brows, searching for the correct way to put it. "Merlin has this way of making you feel like an equal to him. Ironic, considering he lives to be a servant to King Arthur."

"So he made you feel… human?" Linda ventured, never having thought that someone before Chloe had made such an impact but… it dawned on the blonde that there was still so much she was lacking in information about her patient's life. Even now, they either spoke about the far past where Lucifer's family was concerned, or the recent past of the last six or so years.

Snorting, Lucifer shook his head. "Neither of us are exactly human, Doctor."

Rolling her eyes, she leveled him with a deadpan. "You know what I mean; you felt like you could relate or be yourself with him."

"Yes, I did." Lucifer pursed his lips. "Even when I lost my temper, or became unbearably moody- Merlin stood by my side unless I pushed him about abandoning Arthur. In reality, that was the only way I could ever force him away, and sometimes I did so without meaning to."

"You speak extremely high of him; why is it he's only here now? You've been here for years now." It wasn't questioning the wizard's loyalty; it was just questioning why it took so long for someone so _dear_ to the Devil to appear.

"We're both old- time passes by much more quickly to us- just in the sense of it all starts blurring together. What's two years when you've lived a thousand?" A fair point. "It's not like he's sought me out every time I've come above, even if he did hear of any rumors about me being here. He's got his own plans still."

"I see… so you're worried about him, and think I might be able to help him?"

"Doctor; you've definitely helped and changed my life for the better. I don't say it enough, but I'm always grateful for all the work you've done in helping me understand my feelings and how to handle them when they've been so foreign to me." Linda felt a swell of pride under the praise of her patient- of her friend. It was nice to be told by him how he felt about their work together. "He's not human, like me, but has a better understanding than I do. He has his issues and I firmly believe that if anyone can help us non-humans out, it would be you."

That was the highest praise possible, and Linda couldn't find it in herself to say no.

"I should have space for tomorrow."

* * *

Merlin Emmerson was not what she was expecting; Lucifer had refused to talk too much about his friend beyond his own feelings and memories of the man, wanting her to make her own opinions when they met while also wanting to respect he wasn't nearly as open as the Devil- something he still struggled to understand but tried to respect anyways.

Rather than some eccentric british man in lavish and odd clothing, like she had been expecting, she got a man sitting across from her who radiated a quiet energy. He was unassuming, and Linda felt he would be leaving to go get lost on some autumn backroad, with no one around and only the leaves and wind to keep him company.

"Doctor Martin, it's nice to meet you." His voice had a much more… homely appeal to it. Something about it just tied in his character of someone unassuming.

"Yes, it's a pleasure." This was the first time she was really meeting another being without Lucifer having been there to soften the blow. Despite the normal and ordinary vibes Merlin gave off, Linda still couldn't help the way her heart beat at meeting the Wizard of legends. "And you're… Merlin. _The_ Merlin."

That smile he gave felt wise and knowing and he actually felt older than her, where Lucifer did not with his lack of knowledge and childish behavior. "Do you need time to wrap your mind around it, Dr. Martin?" He asked, amusement covering his small concern. "Lucifer told me you handled it rather well, but I understand if it's-"

"No- I told him it's fine, and it really is. It's just going to take me a bit to wrap my head around completely and behave normally, you know?"

"That's fair with me." He nodded, before licking his lips and suddenly seeming apprehensive and that was a behavior she understood. No matter how old one got, apparently, they still had nervousness and trepidation about revealing themselves.

The therapist decided to launch right into things, since they both knew Lucifer had filled her in on things. "Lucifer told me a bit of your history, so let me sum up what I do know and you can correct me and tell your feelings, okay?" Another nod of consent, and it seemed to relax him to have her guide them. She told him what Lucifer had told her, and he nodded along- the only thing he corrected (with a good bit of annoyance) was 'I am not a _wizard_ with some.. Some pointy hat and stick for a wand. I'm a _warlock_.' and Linda decided not to question that.

After the brief summary of what she knew, Merlin sighed and sat forward a bit; elbows on his knees, hands clasped together and eyes looking to the side- not at anything in particular. Certainly not at her.

He was not comfortable being vulnerable with strangers, but they'd work on that if he allowed.

"Lucifer's right… I- I do struggle with some sense of depression. It got better when I came to terms that I have to wait for Arthur… I don't… If- If I'm honest, doctor." He looked over at her to see if he could be, and she nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "I'm only telling you this because Lucifer speaks so highly of you. I've… there's so much I've never told anyone. Not Lucifer, not Gaius, not Arthur… Arthur was the last mortal man I told I had magic to…"

"Why's that?" She kept her voice softer, trying to let him realize he was safe and she wasn't going to judge him. "It's been fifteen hundred years, Merlin. Surely you've met other humans you could trust?"

To her disappointment, he shook his head. "When I was born, Dr. Martin, it was during what was called The Great Purge. Uther, Arthur's father, had used magic to give himself an heir. Not realizing the consequences of creating a life, his wife had died. Rather than acknowledge what foolish decision he had made, he blamed Magic as evil and cruel. He killed my kind mercilessly; children were drowned, women and men were burned if someone suspected them of having magic. He had even killed all but one of the dragons."

"That's terrible… you- you lived through that?" Oh god, maybe she had her work cut out for her.

"Not entirely; the world needs balance- needs Magic. Even though sorcerers are scarce and nearly gone, the world still thrives on Magic. Lucifer, the angels, they are a type of Magic, if you will. Celestial Magic- world creating and world ending Magic. God is the highest power of it, of course. His Magic runs through the Earth, runs through every single one of us. Some more than others."

"I… see. I never- I would have never guessed that he had magic of all things."

"Well, that's just one word for it, isn't it? Holy Powers and Magic aren't too entirely different if you really sit down and think about it."

That did make a bit more sense, and Linda found herself able to work with that thought a bit better. "Alright; so what does this have to do with the purge?"

"Well- to keep the balance, all that magic had to go somewhere." He pointed to himself. "I was born shortly after the Purge, and I found out twenty years later that I _am_ Magic. Emrys is the personification of Magic. While other warlocks and witches usually manifested their abilities in later childhood or adolescence, mine had shown itself days after being born. My mother told me stories of how I'd use magic to get myself things, and she was concerned I wouldn't learn to walk because of it." There was fondness in his voice, and Linda couldn't help the warmth that bubbled into a chuckle. "But… I had to keep myself a secret. If anyone found out about what I could do, I would have been killed."

"Did you… know that you were Emrys?"

"No; it wasn't until I met Arthur that I found out everything. Slowly and over time, through lots of trials and battles and losses." The Warlock still wouldn't meet her gaze. "I was in his service for about a decade, and I considered him my best friend. I did everything I could to ensure his safety and happiness- the amount of things I had to do just to make sure he lived… I was thrust into this destiny with the stupid clotpole of a King, just as lost as he was but the fate of everything rested on my hands not to fail."

"Did you tell him about all this?"

A guilty look crossed Merlin's face as he finally met her eyes- she got the sense he was apologizing for his actions. "Not until he was dying. And even then, I didn't get to go into much detail."

Imagine keeping such a big part of yourself secret from someone you felt so strongly about. No wonder Merlin felt guilty. "Were you afraid he'd look at you like his father had?"

"For a time." Merlin admitted, leaning back and looking away again. "At first I was afraid of him actually killing me, and then I didn't want to make him choose between me or his loyalty to his father. And then… then I was afraid he'd hate me. And he accepted me; he was angry as hell and thought I was some lying dick, but in the end he accepted me and he told me to never change."

All that fear, and it had been unfounded.

"Do you wish you told him sooner?"

"Yes, _god_ Yes." Merlin scrubbed his face with his hand. Getting this emotional and upset wasn't planned but Lucifer wasn't wrong. Linda was comforting and it felt so good to finally get it out. "I wish I had told him, and I told the knights. I wish I told them the truth when they trusted me so deeply. And- and people _keep_ doing that. They keep trusting me, but I don't trust them. I haven't trusted anyone in so long- the persecution of magic never ended. One time I had been accused when the American Witch Trials were happening, and I spent years at the bottom of a lake."

That was a nightmare as a mortal, but imagine being immortal and trapped? Linda marked down 'physical trauma' for a later discussion.

"Lucifer mentioned the friend you had been living with… would you have told him in time?" Merlin blinked a bit, before scoffing and laughing bitterly.

"No, I likely wouldn't have." He tensed his jaw, working through his thoughts. "I didn't even want Lucifer to tell you, but he literally can't lie and I wasn't going to stop him from expressing his care."

Maybe it was time to turn towards Lucifer and Merlin's friendship, since that meant so much to both men. Glancing at the clock discreetly, she was content to see she still had time.

"Why don't we talk about him? Lucifer is an important part of your life, isn't he?"

Merlin didn't seem caught off guard by the change in subject- he wanted a break from being so open and vulnerable. He was honestly contemplating casting a spell and erasing her mind, if just to go back to hiding for another decade or ten in the safety of his secrecy and lies.

No- he promised Lucifer he'd genuinely try and work it out. And he knew from listening to others that therapy was something uncomfortable and hard. He had to _try_ , if only to grant his friend peace of mind.

"Well, when we had met, I immediately sensed that he was… far greater than anything else I'd ever come across." He remembered the shock and awe, and maybe even fear when the Devil had stated his name. "It was a little terrifying meeting something so much stronger than me, when I was so used to being the most powerful creature of magic for so long. Of course, Lucifer being Lucifer, he knew who- or should I say, _what_ \- I was and was more than happy to prove how he was the Devil."

"Were you afraid when it was confirmed?"

Merlin regarded her carefully, seemingly thinking about it. "I wasn't afraid because he was the Devil. I had heard all the stories, heard all the tales- everything about the Devil is evil and cruel and will corrupt your soul… but that's what they said about magic, too."

"Wow." Linda couldn't help herself, and under his gaze felt a little embarrassed. "Sorry it's just… I didn't expect someone to be able to relate to Lucifer in such a strong way, and that's why they aren't afraid of the Devil. Terrifying criminals with no conscience have more fear of him than you, and the only reason you don't is just because you suspected it wasn't all true."

"And I was right." Merlin confirmed, a small smile on his lips. "He was a… prat, if you will. Not being human and not interacting with many humans has left him rather stunted emotionally, as I'm sure you'll note. It reminded me of Arthur in a lot of ways; he had only grown up in Nobility, and it took me and a few others to make him understand those "beneath" him. Likewise, Lucifer had no experience with humans beyond them being disgusting vermin that constantly landed themselves in his domain. I didn't really put much effort into trying to change his way of thinking, but I wasn't really put off by it, either."

"I was born to be Arthur's servant, and if there was one thing I learned, it was to have patience with those who just didn't understand those "lower" than them. Lucifer slowly- and I mean _slowly_ \- got around to respecting me as a person, and understanding what not to say or do to me without hurting me in turn. He was arrogant and a dick but never malicious to anyone who didn't deserve it already."

Linda nodded, noting that Merlin was incredibly empathetic and sympathetic for others, but harsh on himself. Perhaps it was because of his destiny that had been placed on his shoulders?

"Have you ever tried talking to Lucifer about any of this?"

"Have you tried talking to him about his feelings?" Merlin raised a brow, and just as Linda was about to retort that, yes of _course_ it's part of her job, she got it.

"Alright, fair enough." The Devil was terrible talking to regarding emotional matters that weren't passionate lust or anger. "I suppose I walked into that; but what about now? Hasn't he gotten better in your opinion?"

A small shrug. "Maybe, and maybe I will open up about all this with him. But… he's working through his own growth, right now. And I can see it's confusing and hard for him. I don't want to add on to that."

"You really care about him, a lot."

"Of course I do." Merlin stated, as though it were the most obvious thing. "Lucifer didn't ask to be the way he is. No one was there to teach Lucifer what he needed to know about all this. And he's always been there for me when I needed him, even if it wasn't always in the best of ways. He was still a presence when my own loneliness and fears were becoming too much. Lucifer is my friend, and I don't want to do anything to hurt or upset him."

Just like he hadn't told Arthur in fear of upsetting him. "Don't you think he'd want to know the truth of your feelings- of your guilt? Don't you want to stop living in the shadows?"

They were so similar, yet so different in that one regard. Lucifer thrust himself into the light, showing himself to the world and expressing himself honestly- the best way that he could. Merlin didn't; he made it clear he felt more comfortable behind someone, serving them.

The warlock gave her a soft, sad smile.

* * *

"So, how did it go?"

"Yes, hello to you too, Lucifer." Merlin greeted from the couch. "I don't know what you did between the time I went to sleep and the time you left to work with Chloe, but your penthouse was a _mess_. I took care of it but I think it deserves another night here, don't you?"

"But of course; I'm more than happy to pay for your services." Both knew Merlin didn't need any money. Investing and saving over so many years had done wonders, plus having several best sellers under different pseudonymes. "And yes yes, hello. I think we have more pressing things to discuss than a simple hello."

"It's only polite, Lucifer." Merlin's eyes went gold and they had their drinks. Lucifer could get used to this routine of nightly chats and golden eyes. "It went… well. Since I still have to get my affairs in order, and I still have to decide what I'm going to do from here forward, she just told me to call next time I wanted to schedule an appointment."

"It didn't help?" The disappointment in the Devil's voice made Merlin's heart throb.

"It did- as much as one session could it just… it was a lot." He murmured honestly, sagging against the couch and bringing the drink to his lips. "I don't think I've ever expressed myself that much to anyone. Not even my mother; after everything that happened, I couldn't bring myself to speak as honestly."

"But you were with the Doctor?"

"..Yeah, I was."

"That's good. I know how you like to keep things closed but I think it's time you move on from that." Lucifer nodded. "When Arthur comes back, I'm sure he'll prefer you to be honest with him."

There was a stretch of silence Lucifer hadn't been expecting, nor was he expecting the look Merlin was giving him when he turned to see what the problem seemed to be. "What?"

"...That's the first time you've ever said "when he comes back". Normally you… brush all that off and suggest I'm just wasting time."

Lucifer felt his own guilt creep back up, before he sighed and sat back along the couch. "I can't pretend to know what goes on in the mind of Sidhe, Merlin. I have no idea when he'll be back. But they do not lie, and if the creatures of Magic told you he will be back, then he will."

"...Thank you."

Another stretch of silence, though this one was a bit more comfortable as the two men got lost in their thoughts for a bit. "Do you plan to introduce us?" Lucifer asked, a bit of insecurity rising forth.

Now it was Merlin's turn to look at him with incredulity. "Of course I do, Lucifer. If he can get over Magic being evil, then he can get over the Devil being Evil's mascot for so long."

It warmed his heart to be told he wasn't being abandoned or forgotten as soon as Merlin's original best friend came back, and even more so when Merlin stressed he would make sure Arthur knew he wasn't evil.

"I don't know about that; all the things I'm going to introduce him to? I'm positive his mind won't be able to comprehend it. We have parties, orgies, drugs- all the fun stuff you didn't have back then to show him!"

There was a groan and then Lucifer found a pillow to the face.

**Author's Note:**

> I loved all the reviews I got for the last one; thank you all tons. They make me so happy. 
> 
> If you have ideas and suggestions please let me know (largely bc I need more ppl to talk to about Merlin and Lucifer being friends sdkfjhsdkf) but also please review and let me know your thoughts on this as well!! I've kinda hidden myself away from fandom stuff and being able to write fanfics again and talk about stuff aaaa really warms my heart. 
> 
> I love Lucifer and Merlin's friendship, because I see a little of Arthur in Lucifer; not quite knowing how to handle those lower/different than what he was raised to be around and see. His quick temper at times and irrationality that Merlin had to reel in more than once. I don't think Merlin treats Lucifer like Arthur, nor did he ever see him as a substitute, but that's my explanation for why they're able to get along and why Merlin has it in him to be patient with him. 
> 
> Merlin is hurting a lot- largely from the loneliness he created for himself. He fears being honest as he doesn't want to be rejected, but he also considers how those that know the truth about him are at risk as well. It's a hard life to live and it causes him a great amount of grief and heartache. He can't talk to Lucifer about it- the Devil hardly understands his own emotions!- and he doesn't have any other friends he can speak to honestly. So I think he's going to take advantage of the opportunity Lucifer has presented him with Linda. 
> 
> Also I'm not entirely sure but this takes place sometime before Season 3. I may or may not have Lucifer's favorite immortal human come across another one. Who knows? not me.
> 
> Sorry for the longer ramble this is basically the only place I can really talk about these headcanons and stuff LMAO.


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